A love hate relationship
by dalsibaby
Summary: James loves Lily. Lily hates James. The Dark Lord's power is growing greater by the minute. Who will die? Who will live? Whose' feelings will change as seventh year at Hogwarts runs it's course?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Is the man crazy?

"ARGH!!!!! For the sake of Merlin, what is happening? I think I'm going crazy!" cried James Potter as he read his Hogwarts letter.

Sirius rolled over on his bed and mumbled contently. Something about killing his mother through peanut butter and house elves it seemed. James smiled mischievously. He was going to have some fun waking up his best friend.

In a mere millisecond and a flash of light Sirius was hanging upside down, midair, suspended by only his ankle.

"Oh, Prongs, couldn't you have just jumped on my bed or on me or poured ice cold water over my head like a normal person?" Sirius howled.

James frowned and pretended to look offended. "Me, a Marauder wake up another Marauder through such unoriginal channels? Nope, that would be disastrous. People would think that we're losing our touch. People would think that we would have," James lowered his voice, "_matured._ People would think it's the end of the world, that we're all going to die and….."

Sirius tilted his head and mulled over the idea. "You know what Prongsy, for the first time in eternity I actually think you're right!"

James shrugged. "That's what they say about me".

"Ooh, that's my Hogwarts letter!" exclaimed Sirius, pointing to an owl sitting peacefully on the floor in front of his bed. "I wonder if…Moony received the utterly sinful title of Head Boy".

"No, I don't think he did," answered James.

"Hmm….you're right," decided Sirius. "It's probably that twit from Ravenclaw. Corner's his name I think".

"No, I don't think it's him either".

"So, who do you think it is?" asked Sirius. "It better not be a Slytherin. Dumbledore would be going crazy if he elects a Slytherin as Head Boy. Imagine what a terrible world Hogwarts would be if Snivellous would be Head Boy!" Sirius shuddered.

"I think Dumbledore is crazy," muttered James, fingering his letter.

"You mean a Slytherin is Head Boy?"

"No…" answered James slowly, fidgeting with his own Hogwarts letter.

"Wait just a tick….You mean Dumbledore and you and Head Boy and you a Marauder Head Boy," sputtered Sirius.

James nodded.

Sirius' eyes sparkled. "Oh, my little Prongsy has grown up, he's Head Boy!" he mocked.

"Stop it," mumbled James, whacking Sirius on the head.

"Wait just a tick…" said Sirius, the sparkle in his dark eyes disappearing. "You know who'll be Head Girl, don't you?"

"Lily Evans," breathed James.

"Prongsy mate, this is your chance. This is the year that Lily Evans will fall for you. This is the year for all of us! Trust me, by the end of this year, you and Lily will be on the way down the aisle. But first, we need to get Moony over here pronto. He's going to have to tutor you on how to act normally in front of Lily," replied Sirius.

"Let's go down for breakfast," suggested James as the scent of pancakes wafted upstairs. Sirius nodded and sprinted downstairs, James following right behind.

"Mum," said James seriously as he entered the kitchen. "Mum, sit down. I've got something important to tell you".

James' mother sat down and nodded to James encouragingly.

"I'm Head Boy," explained James as quickly as he could.

"Yeah, that's very funny boys. I'm sorry but I think you're losing your touch if that's the best you could come up with. Try again, you boys don't want to ruin your reputation," answered Miranda Potter.

"Nooo if fue" said Sirius, through a mouthful of pancakes.

"It's true?"

James nodded.

"What is wrong with Dumbledore? Has he gone crazy? What type of normalness does he think the school will retain if he appoints a Marauder as Head Boy?"

"That's what I said," explained Sirius as he finished the rest of his second serving of pancakes.

"So, who's Head Girl?" asked Miranda Potter. "You do know that Head Boy and Head Girl share a private common room and bathroom".

"This is our lucky year!" exclaimed Sirius.

"So who is the lucky girl?" repeated Miranda.

"The one and the only Lily Marie Evans!" announced Sirius.

"I don't think she thinks that she is lucky," mumbled James' sadly.

"Why don't we invite Lily and her family for a celebration dinner tonight?" suggested Miranda. "Why don't you go owl her?"

"I really don't think that would be the best idea," clarified Sirius. "Evans doesn't exactly like James".

"She hates me".

"Nobody hates you Jamesie," said Miranda comfortingly. "Now, let me go owl your father the good news. I'll tell him to come home early; we'll invite Remus' and Peter's family for dinner, okay?"

James nodded and trudged upstairs with Sirius to collect their broomsticks and head outside to play a quick game of one on one Quidditch.

* * *

Lily leaned out of the window, her white nightgown blowing in the light breeze.

She waited excitedly for the slowly growing owl to appear. She gently untied the Hogwarts letter from the owl's leg and tenderly sent the owl off, flying to wherever it needed to go. Lily sat on her bed and opened the letter. A little red and gold badge with the letter 'H' and 'G' fell out of the envelope. Lily began to read the letter slowly, trying to memorize all her feelings and emotions so she would be able to remember the moment forever.

"I'm Head Girl!" Lily whispered to herself. "I've worked up to this for six years!"

"What are you doing Freak?" asked Petunia. "Talking to yourself again?"

Lily walked out of her bedroom and gently shoved Petunia out of the way.

"Watch it Freak!" she retorted, but Lily couldn't hear her. She was already on her way down stairs to tell her parents the good news.

"Mum, Dad, guess what!"

"What, darling?" asked Randy Evans.

"I'm Head Girl!" explained Lily enthusiastically as she continued on to describe all the duties and privileges that the Head Girl and Boy were granted.

"Well, it seems like we are to have a celebration dinner tonight! I must be off to the butcher then," replied Lily's mother, Linda.

"What's all the big deal?" asked Petunia scornfully. "What's so special about being the Head Freak of Freaks, anyway?"

"Petunia," warned Linda.

Petunia rolled her eyes and walked out of the house.

"Don't listen to her honey," demanded Randy calmly. "Don't let it bother you".

Lily shrugged. "I don't care what she thinks".

"Why don't you head upstairs and write the good news to your friends?" suggested Linda.

Lily nodded and went upstairs to owl her friends the fine news.


	2. Chapter 2

**2. The last time there**

Lily Evans, a young woman of seventeen, waved goodbye to her parents on Platform Nine. She lent against the wooden wall between Platform Nine and Ten her trolley gripped tightly in hand. Lily blended inconspicuously into the Muggle scene of Kings Cross Station. With a forced amount of pressure against the wall separating Platform Nine and Ten, Lily fell lopsided onto the magical platform, destined to depart to Hogwarts. The first people Lily saw were a 'popular' group of boys known as the Marauders. Lily snorted in disgust. Those boys were overly confident, obnoxious, bullying toe-rags. She quickly ducked out of the way and made her way onto the train, hoping that James Potter hadn't spotted her…yet.

Lily walked down the train, hoping to find her closest friends, Nancy and Kate. She gingerly touched her hat and sunglasses. It was a genius plan really. Hopefully Potter wouldn't be able to recognize Lily with her tell tale red hair and familiar green eyes covered.

"Step away from me Potter, and no, I will not go out with you," growled Lily angrily when a pair of hands blocked her sight. When the hands failed to remove themselves Lily pulled her wand out of her pocket. "If you don't take your hands off my eyes immediately, I swear to Merlin, I will hex you so badly that you won't even be able to sit down, you'll be in so much pain".

Lily exhaled when the large hands left her face. She spun around, her fists balled; ready to punch James Potter in the face.

"Hey, Head Girl," greeted Kate, hugging Lily.

"Nancy, Kate! For a second I thought you were that ape who thinks he's human".

"Ape, that's a good one. It's great to see you! Congratulations on becoming Head Girl!" said Nancy, happy to see her other best friend.

"Who do you think will be Head Boy?" asked Kate.

"Well, I thought Remus Lupin. He would be the most sensible choice," answered Lily.

Kate and Nancy were admiring Lily's red and gold badge when a deep voice interrupted them.

"Evans, it's wonderful to see you!" said James Potter.

"It's great to see that you haven't asked me out yet! That must be worthy of a trophy of some sort. You also didn't ask me out during the summer. I really must thank Remus for teaching you some form of slight self control," answered Lily mockingly.

James winced; his ego was bruised yet again by Lily Evans.

The Marauders' smirked behind him.

"Keep on trying Prongs," drawled the sleek voice of the infamous Sirius Black.

Remus Lupin and Leah Fist walked into the compartment reserved for prefects, animatedly discussing half creature rights.

"We'll just leave," said Kate as she and Nancy walked out of the prefect's compartment. "You need to start the prefects meeting, don't you?"

"I'll go round up the rest of the prefects. They don't seem to be here yet," offered James.

"Fine," answered Lily. "You do that…Wait, why would _you_ need to call the rest of the prefects. You're not even a prefect yourself!"

James smiled pointing to his red and gold badge. "You're right, I'm not a prefect, I'm Head Boy".

"Very funny Potter, now why don't you give that badge back to Remus?"

"Padfoot, please explain to Evans the current situation while I go round up the rest of the prefects," ordered James as he walked out of the compartment.

"I don't want to be left here alone with Black," complained Lily.

"Don't worry," reassured Sirius. "I won't do anything to you. James would kill me. I'm only here to explain the situation".

Lily nodded. "Shoot".

"Shoot what?"

"It's a Muggle expression. It just means go," explained Lily.

"Crazy Muggles," muttered Sirius shaking his head.

"Just go".

"…So that's why we think Dumbledore's gone crazy," concluded Sirius.

"Potter really is Head Boy then?"

"Yeah, so do you think he'll be up for the job?" asked Sirius.

"If he's responsible, maybe if he's matured over the summer he'll be able to do it," answered Lily thoughtfully.

"You fancy him don't you?" whispered Sirius to Lily quietly.

"No I don't," answered Lily, defensively.

"Defensive," muttered Sirius.

Lily glared at Sirius and began to draw her wand out of the pocket of her jeans.

Sirius nodded, not really believing Lily. He stopped pushing his luck realizing it was a sensitive topic. Sirius didn't want to have to deal with an angry Lily.

"A little overly defensive," murmured Sirius

He was instantly quelled by a glower from Lily.

Out side the compartment, waiting for the prefects, James subconsciously shined his badge. 'I didn't flirt with her or ask her out. Why did she snap at me? Doesn't she see I'm trying to make an effort?' James wondered.

James saw the Slytherin prefects heading towards the compartment. Behind Regulus and Bellatrix Black were the new Hufflepuff prefects and beside them, the Ravenclaws. James walked back into the compartment thinking deeply about Lily. Soon after he arrived in the compartment the rest of the prefects entered, eager to return to their own compartments to see their friends.

Professor Dumbledore stood up to speak, "Welcome prefects. I would like to introduce to you our new Head Girl and Boy".

James was in a world of his own. He was thinking his a millionth plan to convince Lily to go on a date with him. Lily shoved her partner in the ribs.

"Stand up!" she hissed.

James stood up meekly, his hands massaging his sore ribcage. He held up his hands as if to stop applause.

"Thank you. I would like to dedicate this to my wife Li-" James started, suddenly realizing that he was not at an award ceremony, merely on the train to Hogwarts.

Lily's eyes shot daggers at him while all the prefects besides the Slytherin laughed.

"He's making a fool of himself," Regulus whispered to his cousin. Bellatrix nodded obviously agreeing.

"I doubt the blood traitor or the Mudblood are up for the job," answered Bellatrix, equally as quiet as her cousin.

When the meeting concluded Lily asked James to stay behind.

"Potter, this is going to be a long year for the both of us. Please try and co-operate with me."

"Lily flower, I'll do whatever you want to make you happy," James answered sincerely.

Lily rolled her eyes at his cliché line.

James left the compartment walking in a daze. He watched Bellatrix Black draw out her wand. She hexed a Muggle born first year.

James then realized what he saw. He sneaked up behind the Slytherin prefect and whispered "_Expelliarmus_".

Before Bellatrix had time to react James flicked his wand and Bellatrix was lifted into the air by a magical force. It was just then that Lily decided to leave the compartment.

"Potter! What in the name of Merlin are you doing? You're Head Boy! You can't just go around hexing people!" she shrieked.  
Lily muttered a counter-curse and Bellatrix fell down in a heap.

"I didn't need your help Mudblood!" she said scathingly.

James jinxed the Slytherin prefect for the second time.

"Apologize to Evans!" he demanded.

Bellatrix whimpered and fell down in a heap.

Lily muttered the counter-curse for the first year who ran away, scared out of her mind, immediately.

Lily walked back to her compartment and glared coldly at James.

"You'll pay for this blood traitor!" hissed Bellatrix Black as she strutted back to her compartment.


	3. Chapter 3

3. Slapped Cheeks

James headed up to the third floor corridor where Professor Dumbledore said the Head Boy's and Girl's quarters were. Not even noticing the beautiful red and gold decoration of the Head's common room James stripped, preparing to dress in his pajamas.

As he finished changing his boxers Lily walked through the door of the common room.

'Merlin,'Lily thought, 'I'm seeing Potter topless!'

Lily was disgusted by James' open display of his perfectly carved body but didn't have the ability to tear her eyes away from Potter's well toned and muscled chest.

"Evans! Welcome to the Head's living quarters, you like?" asked James flirtatiously.

"Y-y, No!"

James raised his eyebrows.

"Potter, stop right now, you're messing with my mind! Anyways we have patrolling duty now! Go!"

James walked out of the room then and there, wearing nothing but his boxers.

He started to walk up and down different corridors, patrolling the area. James felt a hand on his naked shoulder. He turned around to see Professor McGonagall, her eyes blazing and her lips pursed, in a straight, thin, pink, line.

"Mr. Potter! Dress yourself in some items of clothing this instant! You may be Head Boy and in a position of power but you are a role model, detention!" Professor McGonagall scolded in a blur of fury, her eyes boring into James' chest.

"But Professor, Evans is still in our common room. Someone had to patrol!" James answered back disobediently.

"Am I Potter? Last time I checked I was watching you receiving detention," Lily whispered cheekily into James ear.

James jumped in a mixture of shock and fright.

"Professor, I'll take over from Potter while he goes and gets dressed."

James walked back to the common room his head hanging low, ashamed and embarrassed. He changed into his pajamas and walked outside to continue patrolling.

There, James met Lily. Boy was she furious.

"Potter, grow up will you? I can't believe I actually thought you had matured!" Lily exclaimed in outrage, annunciating every syllable.

James gazed at the beautiful mane of thick, red hair.

"Lily looks so cute when she's angry," James accidentally thought aloud.

It was just too much for Lily. Her bottled anger escaped and she slapped James hard across his cheek.

James gaped at her, his jaw almost reaching the stone floor. Nobody had ever dared to hit a Marauder. Let alone James Potter. He was known as the most handsome boy at Hogwarts. It was just disrespectful to hit a Marauder. Somehow this action made James admire Lily even more.

"Come on," James said breaking the tense silence, "we have to continue patrolling."

The duo walked through the spiraling corridors of Hogwarts. James forced his hand into Lily's. Surprisingly, Lily gave her consent. The pair continued patrolling hand in hand.

The Head's passed a broom cupboard making interesting noises. James decided to open it. Inside he found his fellow Marauder, Remus Lupin snogging Leah Fist.

"Good on you Moony! You finally got her!" James congratulated.

Lily giggled at the awkward situation Remus was now faced with. Lily closed her eyes and was immediately faced with a mental image of her and James, making out in the broom cupboard. Lily pushed the image to the back of her mind. She wasn't allowed to think like that at all. What would happen if people found out that she really did like James? She would seem weak. This secret was best kept, well secret.

James, fulfilling his duty, shooed Remus and his girlfriend out of the cupboard. James and Lily looked at each other and cracked up laughing.

James put his hands over Lily's eyes and led her into the cupboard. Immediately after he let her hands go James placed his lips in Lily's.

They kissed passionately. Their tongues tangoing to its' own tune, their lips dancing to their own, individual beat. Lily's hands impulsively clutched James' messy, black hair. James hands' moved from Lily's waist to stroke her warm, pink cheek.

"James," Lily whispered softly. "James!" Lily shouted untangling herself from James. "You have absolutely no right to kiss me! I do not want to even a touch a mouth that has muttered curses at innocent people."

"But you kissed back," insisted James.

"Shame on you Potter, James!"

Lily slapped him again, this time on the other cheek and ran off, her clothes disordered and her fiery, red hair flying behind her.

James ran to the Gryffindor common room to tell his friends the good news.

"Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail, guess what?" James exclaimed.

"Did McGonagall slap you after she saw you patrolling half naked?" Peter asked looking at James' red cheeks.

"Hey, how did you know about that?" asked James.

"Prongs, we're at Hogwarts, everyone knows everything about everyone," explained Remus.

"Fine, you're right. Anyways, it wasn't Minnie that slapped me, it was Lily," James said in a hurry, dying to tell his friends the good news.

"Lily smacked you?!" asked Sirius incredulously. "That's a first."

"I didn't know she hated you that much!" said Moony smiling.

"No! That isn't the point!" James insisted. "She kissed me and actually called me James, even when she was upset at me!"

"Who would've thought you would be happy with her slapping you, even if she did call you James. We all call you James, big whoop," Peter replied.

The other three Marauders glanced at each other and rolled their eyes.

"Wormtail, don't stick you nose into things you don't understand!" reprimanded Sirius.

James looked back at his friends and smiled almost victoriously.

***

Lily walked in a huff to the girls' dormitory. There she found Nancy and Kate.

"That James, he really gets to me! It's almost like he knows which buttons to push," said Lily expressing her anger.

"James who?" asked Nancy.

"James Potter! Who else would I be talking about?"

"You've never called him James before," pointed out Kate.

"What did he do Lily?" asked Nancy sympathetically.

"H-he, well he kissed me!" Lily explained shuddering.

"He kissed you?"

"What was it like? Apparently he's an amazing kisser!" said Nancy.

She knew all the gossip. Who was hot and who was not. James Potter was way up there on the hot list.

"So do you like him?" asked Kate

"Of course I don't like James, Kate!" Lily yelled her red head temper streaming out of her mouth.

Lily stormed out of the dormitory and ran to her room, fleeing from the truth of her fancying James Potter.

She ran into the common room and ignored James' "Hey Evans, I really enjoyed our time in the broom cupboard. We've got to do that again some time soon."

Seeking refuge from the truth of her feelings, her friends' thoughts and James' comment, Lily ran to her bed and burst into tears.


	4. Chapter 4

4. Tears of confusion

Lily tossed and turned uncomfortably in her sleep. There were so many thoughts on her mind even if she was no where near a conscious state. First of all, there were her feelings for James which seemed to be growing quickly by the second. Second of all, there was the fact that Lily had kissed James back and no matter how much Lily would like to deny the fact in a state of consciousness, it caught up with her in her honest dreams. When Lily woke from her disturbed sleep, her pillow was wet with her salty tears, signifying her bewildered and confused state.

Lily dragged herself down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Throughout the Great Hall there was a collective gasp. James looked up from his plate of eggs and bacon to see what everyone was looking at. All the students in the Great Hall craned their necks to see Lily Evans.

Her eyes were red and bloodshot and there were bags under them from her lack of sleep. Her face was pink and blotchy and her red hair was messy, unkempt and obviously knotty and uncombed.

James smiled at Lily. After seeing how disheveled and upset she looked, he tried to rearrange his expression to something more sympathetic. Lily looked down at her feet to avoid the gazes and whispers of the Hogwarts student population. Lily ignored James and sat down at the far end of the Gryffindor table next to Nancy and Kate.

"What's wrong Lily?" asked Nancy, worried about her friend.

Lily shrugged not letting out any information.

"Was it Potter? Merlin, what did he do to you?"

Lily shook her head saying it wasn't James Potter, but the tears in her eyes still threatened to overspill. She ran to the bathroom abandoning her clueless friends.

***

James looked around the potions dungeon. He wondered where Lily was. Lily loved potions, as well as having a talent for it. Lily would never dare miss the first potions lecture of the year!

From Professor Slughorn's bemused expression it seemed like he was thinking along the same lines.

Lily entered the dungeon halfway through the lesson.

"Sorry I'm late," she mumbled without giving a reason for her tardiness.

Professor Slughorn nodded absent mindedly to his star student, but his eyes showed concern for the teenage girl.

The potion the class was brewing was difficult. It was N.E.W.T level, the Essence of Insanity. Professor Slughorn inspected his class's potions. He gave advice to certain individuals but to others he gave a slight nod or a sigh. It was clear to everyone that Professor Slughorn was disappointed with Lily's potion and that it wasn't up to her usual sky high standard. . He awarded Severus Snape, Felix Felicis for the best brewed potion and dismissed the class five minutes early.

"Miss Evans, come here please," Professor Slughorn instructed.

Lily shuffled towards the desk at the front of the classroom.

"Miss Evans, is everything okay?" asked Professor Slughorn.

"Everything is fine sir," Lily answered feeling as if she was going to burst into tears for the second time that day.

Lily walked out of the dungeon to head for lunch. She wasn't very hungry so she went to sit outside by the lake, under a shady tree. The Marauders came and sat down next to her. Lily ignored the four boys.

"Lily, is everything all right?" James asked, wondering if he had done anything wrong.

"Everything is perfectly fine _Potter_!" answered Lily.

Frustrated and fed up, Lily returned to the Head's common room to seek a sanctuary where she could escape from school, from her peers and most importantly from the depth of her feelings for James Potter.

There on the plush red and gold couch in the Head's common she fell asleep.

***

"Potter, what the hell did you do to Lily?" Kate screamed at James.

"I didn't do anything!" insisted James.

"Then why is she so damned miserable?"

"I told you already, I didn't do a thing!"

"Then where is she?" asked Kate

"I don't know. How about you check all the classrooms and I'll check the Head's common room and living quarters."

Kate nodded. "We'll meet back here in fifteen minutes," she added.

James agreed and ran up to the third floor. He discovered Lily sleeping uncomfortably on the couch in the common room. Her clothes were all wrinkled and creased and she seemed to be having a nightmare. James carried Lily to her bed and pulled off her woolen jumper. Her face was all red and she seemed too hot to be able to sleep comfortably. James tucked Lily in under the covers of her bed, kissed her forehead and whispered "Sweet dreams".

James ran back down to the Great Hall. He found Kate waiting by the Gryffindor table anxiously.

"I didn't find her, did you?" asked Kate nervously.

"Yeah, I found her sleeping on the couch in our common room. She looked hot and uncomfortable so I took off her jumper," answered James.

Kate narrowed her eyes.

"I swear only her jumper. She's still sleeping. I think we should leave her be for the rest of the day. I think she's exhausted and may have slight fever," concluded James.

Kate nodded and James ran off to his N.E.W.T level Defense against the Dark Arts class. The lecture was a theory lesson about Patrouneses. Seeing as James already knew how to cast a corpeal patrounus, he dozed off and thought of his thousandth plan to persuade Lily to go on a date with him. His best idea to date was to go out another girl to make Lily jealous.

James wrote a list of possible candidates.

Kate Ryan – Gryffindor

Nancy Mite – Gryffindor

Mary Finch Fletchy – Hufflepuff

Lisa Macmillan – Hufflepuff

Melissa Corner – Ravenclaw

Quin Chang –Ravenclaw.

James decided on Nancy. She was the biggest gossiper in the school and one of Lily's best friends. This was bound to make her jealous!

***

That night after dinner James motioned to Nancy to follow him outside. When they were alone under James' favorite tree James proclaimed, "Nancy, I know this going to sound weird coming from me but I really like you and I want to go out with you sometime, alone".

James kneeled down on one knee and took out a Honeydukes chocolate bar from his pocket.

Nancy giggled. Blimey he's going to propose, she thought, her imagination already producing thousands of images of her and James married with children.

"Nancy, will you go to Hogsmeade with me a week from Saturday?"

Nancy answered with the biggest possible smile on her face.

The new couple smiled and looked in to each other's eyes.

Nancy sighed; James is so romantic, she thought.  
"Nancy, I have somewhere special to take you," James said.

James blindfolded Nancy and led her through the castle. He carried her upstairs to the third floor. James transfigured a Knut in his pocket into a gorgeous, long stemmed, red rose. He very unromantically shoved Nancy into a broom closet.

"Nancy," James said. "I present you with this rose to express my adoration for you".

James lent forward, Nancy mimicked the action. Their lips touched gently as they kissed. The kiss didn't deepen any further. It remained a simple, short, sweet series of kisses. Suddenly the door was opened from the outside by a furious, red headed Head Girl. The couple hastily separated.

"J- , Potter that was me just y-yesterday!" whispered Lily, the words choked and strangled, tears streaming down her face. Lily ran to the Head's common room trying to persuade herself that she didn't care, that she shouldn't care. But, Lily had to face the fact that she did care and that she didn't want to have to hide it anymore.

***

James and Nancy walked out of the broom closet holding hands. Nancy began to skip down the stone walled corridors exuberantly, her hand still in James' singing as loud as she could, "I'm going out with James Potter!"

The corner of James' lips turned up into a small smile at Nancy's childish antics but for some peculiar reason he felt a twinge on uneasiness in the pit of his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

5. thou shall not be jealous

The entire night Lily was tossing and turning. She had disturbing dreams about herself, Nancy and Potter. She faded between sleep, restlessness and consciousness. Lily woke, horribly tired and miserable. Lily dressed without thinking about what she was doing and walked down to the Great Hall on 'auto pilot' mode. She sat next to Kate and turned herself away from Nancy who was sitting on James' lap!

"Lily, what's wrong? You look really tired," asked Kate.

"That's just a polite way of saying that I look like crap," snapped Lily.

"Come on Lils, just tell me what's wrong? You can trust me!" insisted Kate.

Kate loved to solve other people's social/relationship issues. She loved knowing that she made someone's life a little better and that she had changed the world, hopefully for the better in some small way. Kate dreamed of being a Wizarding Mediator, a person who solves issues between wizarding couples.

"Fine," said Lily. "I slept horribly last night and all I could think about was Nancy and James".

"James?" asked Kate.

Lily mentally slapped herself.

"Potter, I mean Potter!"

"Well, Lily. Please don't get angry with me. Um.... erm…. This is going to be hard to accept but I think you like James Potter."

Lily sat down and began to spread butter on a piece of toast.

"I think I figured that out for myself" she replied.

"Lily, by saying like I mean like-like" explained Kate, "Dating like-like".

Lily glared at her friend and continued to munch on her toast thinking over this new information. As the bell rang Lily gave a swift glance to her friend to say maybe you're right and she hurried away from the Great Hall to Transfiguration.

***

During Transfiguration Lily couldn't concentrate. In her mind's eye she kept on seeing the same image. Potter's chest, so muscled and tanned and beautiful……

'Wait, this is Potter!' thought Lily. 'He's an arrogant, self centered, bullying toerag!' Unable to control her thoughts about him Lily found herself gazing into Potter's midnight black hair wishing that she was the lucky girl to stroke the through the messy locks while kissing him.

"Miss Evans! Please pay attention!" Professor McGonagall scolded.

Lily nodded curtly and returned to fantasizing about herself and James Potter.

"Miss Evans! What is wrong with you today? Can't you pay attention for 5 minutes?" Professor McGonagall reprimanded again.

Lily nodded not really hearing what she was nodding to. Lily decided to scheme a plan to get Potter to notice her again 'No that I fancy him or anything remotely like that,' thought Lily_. _'I just don't think Nancy is a suitable person for him.

Maybe I could imperio Potter, but that could result with a lifelong sentence in Azkaban. Or I could slip him a love potion but if someone finds out I could be expelled from Hogwarts! That can't happen I have to finish my N.E.W.T's. Or I could date another guy and make Potter jealous. That's the best idea. I'm a genius!'

***

During her lunch break, Lily wandered over to a tree were she saw the Marauders eating by.

"Hey, stud!" she said flirtatiously to Sirius.

Sirius answered with an equally alluring smile. Even though he didn't have any particular feelings for her, when an attractive girl came knocking at his door who was he to turn her away? James pointedly huffed and continued to snog Nancy. While Lily was flirting with Sirius, James felt himself grow envious of his best mate.

"Sirius would you like to accompany me to the 7th years Hogsmeade trip on Saturday?" asked Lily innocently.

"Who else is going with you?" asked Sirius curiously.

"No one, I just thought we could go together as friends," said Lily obviously implying she wanted to be more than friends. Sirius leant forward and kissed Lily on the cheek. Lily giggled girlishly and tried to act like she wanted to go further. Lily playfully returned his kiss on his forehead. James sighed and continued to kiss Nancy; he tried to imagine that the girl he was kissing was Lily.

Someone in the background wolf-whistled, "You got yourself another chick Black! How long will you keep her? 2 days?"

Sirius looked around the tree, eyes narrowed and wand drawn. He hated the name Black. He was nothing like his narrow minded, Dark family and didn't want to be associated with them at all. Not seeing the offender Sirius pocketed his wand and started to kiss Lily fiercely. Lily kissed him back equally firm.

'No wonder Prongs enjoyed snogging her! She's an amazing kisser! Her lips are soft, her perfume smells nice and I just love the taste of her lip-gloss, strawberry!' thought Sirius.

Remus Lupin decided to go with the flow and began to kiss his girlfriend, Leah Fist.

Peter coughed loudly. The three couples broke apart, startled. They then realized that Pettigrew was the only one without a girl. The bell rang, interrupting the awkward moment and the group ran off to their own classes.

***

After classes James decided to visit Lily and perhaps explain what she had seen the previous night and find out why it had affected her so much.

Lily was lying on Sirius' chest and Sirius on Lily's bed. Slowly, Sirius unbuttoned the two bottom buttons of Lily's school shirt. He stroked Lily's flat, toned stomach his hand occasionally moving a bit higher. Suddenly Sirius removed his hands from underneath Lily's school shirt. Lily turned her head to see why. She saw James standing at the entrance of her bedroom, his arms crossed and his hazel eyes blazing with fury.

"Padfoot! What are you doing? I trusted you! You know I love Lily" James shouted.

He looked into Lily's green eyes and then at the couple together. He was relieved to see that their clothes were only slightly wrinkled.

"If you love Lily so much why are you mucking around with Nancy?" Sirius snapped

"Merlin! I can't believe you're so thick! I was am w-was, am, is, I dunno dating her to get Lily jealous!"

"It worked then, I guess" said Lily

Lily hopped off her bed and walked slowly across the room to James. She stood on her toes and kissed James softly on the cheek. Nancy ran in to Lily's room.

"James! Where have you been?" Nancy asked frantically. "J-james? W-what are you doing? L-lily! You're supposed to be my best friend!"

"So what? Did you actually think James liked you?" Lily bitched

In the meanwhile a duel broke out between James and Sirius.

"You lost me my girlfriend mate!" Sirius repeated dodging hexes.

"She wasn't your girlfriend! You were only with her for half a day Black!" James retorted.

"No-one calls me Black!"

"Silenco" James said and soon enough no sound was coming out of Sirius's mouth.

Nancy left the room, tears streaming down her face and Sirius stormed out angrily after her.

"Evans, the only reason I was with Nancy was to make you jealous. I thought it was a better plan then showing off or flirting in front of you," James confessed.

"Well, erm, after I got jealous of Nancy I decided to flirt with Sirius to make you jealous," replied Lily.

"So, where does this leave our relationship?"

"I dunno Potter."

"D-do yowanagwime?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"Do you want to go out with me?" asked James, going red in the face.

"I dunno Potter. I think this is going a bit too fast for me. Maybe we should start off being friends first? James, please don't take this the wrong way… and what are you going to do about Nancy?"

James nodded and walked slowly to his room.


End file.
